A ‘Red Team’ Exercise Would Strengthen Climate Science: Put ‘consensus’ to test and improve public understanding, through an open, adversarial process

Thought Piece [Paranoid politics almost never achieves its goal. The obvious prejudices, hyperbole, rhetoric, and shrillness gives it away. Name-calling, smearing, and sneering are not arguments. The idea of a Red Team Exercise--which will tolerate a loyal opposition, a civil debate, a thoughtful discussion, and a well-reasoned dissent—seems like a civilized idea for a civilized society. Steve]  [...]

By |2017-04-22T22:29:52-05:00April 22nd, 2017|Categories: Environment, Thought Piece|Tags: , |Comments Off on A ‘Red Team’ Exercise Would Strengthen Climate Science: Put ‘consensus’ to test and improve public understanding, through an open, adversarial process

“Solar ovens and sustained poverty for Africa: African families and hospitals cannot rely on limited solar power, instead of electricity”

Thought Piece Introduction by Paul Driessen: "In his latest article, aspiring Ugandan college student Steven Lyazi explores efforts by a number of companies and entrepreneurs to bring solar ovens and photovoltaic panels to Uganda and other African countries. As Steven points out, these technologies are much better than the open fires Africans currently rely on. However, [...]

By |2017-04-22T22:23:46-05:00April 21st, 2017|Categories: Energy, Thought Piece|Tags: , , , |Comments Off on “Solar ovens and sustained poverty for Africa: African families and hospitals cannot rely on limited solar power, instead of electricity”

An Open Letter To Rick Perry On Natural Gas Exports: Natural Gas provides strong environmental and economic benefits.

Thought Piece [The following piece from James Taylor is spot on! While it is reasonable to expect a former Texas Governor to understand energy issues, this piece adds some intellectual firepower to the expansion of the whole hydraulic fracturing revolution. If it makes geopolitical and economic sense to export US oil (and it does), it certainly [...]

Real science must guide policy: Climate alarmists use faulty science and bald assertions to demand end to fossil fuels

Thought Piece [Paul Driessen recaps the testimony by four scientist witnesses at the recent House Science Committee hearings on assumptions, policy implications and scientific principles of climate change.  He makes a thought-provoking and compelling case that the supposed “consensus” or “settled” science on “dangerous manmade climate change” is still much in dispute and has been driven [...]

By |2017-04-18T21:04:44-05:00April 18th, 2017|Categories: Environment, Thought Piece|Tags: , , , |1 Comment

Five Obama-era tech policies on the chopping block: Open and fair access can’t be far behind, if Net Neutrality is left far behind.

Thought Piece [As an Open Access warrior from the 1999-2001 era, I can honestly say that the "net neutrality" argument has always seemed as flawed as the Telecommunications Act of the 1930, on which the current sense of net neutrality is based. How can any set of telecommunication regulations written in the 1930's have anything to do with the Internet [...]

By |2017-04-17T21:20:30-05:00April 17th, 2017|Categories: Communication, Thought Piece|Tags: , , , , , |Comments Off on Five Obama-era tech policies on the chopping block: Open and fair access can’t be far behind, if Net Neutrality is left far behind.

OPEC sees rivals’ oil output rising as it over-delivers on cuts: If OPEC continues to over-deliver cuts, US shale oil will continue to increase apace.

Thought Piece [The shale oil development of the lower the 48 states will continue apace and the new Alaskan shale oil discoveries will begin in earnest, when OPEC tries to reduce production more. Unsurprisingly, most monopolies and hegemonies end with a sigh of future pain by those previously in power and a sigh of relief by those who [...]

By |2017-04-17T21:11:11-05:00April 16th, 2017|Categories: Energy, Thought Piece|Tags: , |Comments Off on OPEC sees rivals’ oil output rising as it over-delivers on cuts: If OPEC continues to over-deliver cuts, US shale oil will continue to increase apace.

The Murder of a President and the hope of a “reconstruction” worthy of its name. Lincoln was a wise man, with a post Civil War vision he took with him

The Murder of President Lincoln. New York Times, April 1865 The heart of this nation was stirred yesterday as it has never been stirred before. The news of the assassination of ABRAHAM LINCOLN carried with it a sensation of horror and of agony which no other event in our history has ever excited. In this city [...]

By |2017-04-17T21:07:39-05:00April 15th, 2017|Categories: Thought Piece|Comments Off on The Murder of a President and the hope of a “reconstruction” worthy of its name. Lincoln was a wise man, with a post Civil War vision he took with him

Lincoln: I look where he lies, white-faced and still, in the coffin; …I bend down, and touch lightly with my lips the white face in the coffin.

Thought Piece [At 7:22 AM on April 15th, 1865, probably the greatest American died. Like Walt Whitman, Mr. Lincoln certainly had a heart as large as the whole country of which he was President. The only known photograph (which has been digitally enhanced) of Abraham Lincoln in his casket in the White House is shown below [...]

By |2017-04-17T21:04:56-05:00April 15th, 2017|Categories: Thought Piece|3 Comments

Fracking comes to the Arctic in a new Alaska oil boom: This comes at a time of low oil prices, when observers felt the Arctic would remain off-limits.

Thought Piece [While the discovery of 5 to 6 billion oil and untold natural gas is good news for Alaska, the U.S. and the global energy markets, the logistics of the harvesting the oil will require vast quantities of water and sand needed for fracking, which will be challenging, and probably more expensive than the lower 48 states. Of the [...]

By |2017-04-14T21:58:37-05:00April 14th, 2017|Categories: Energy, Environment, Thought Piece|Tags: , , , , , |Comments Off on Fracking comes to the Arctic in a new Alaska oil boom: This comes at a time of low oil prices, when observers felt the Arctic would remain off-limits.

Legal Group Wants ‘Partisan’ AG Punished Over Handling Of High-Profile Public Records Request: Another New York Attorney General without boundaries?

Thought Piece "Legal Group Wants ‘Partisan’ AG Punished Over Handling Of High-Profile Public Records Request." Another New York Attorney General without boundaries? [Below, you will find two pieces about New York Attorney General Eric Scheiderman. In many ways, his AG office's activities have been  reminiscent of Elliot Spitzer's attack on Wall Street: Highly political, very ambitious and utterly [...]

By |2017-04-14T21:48:53-05:00April 13th, 2017|Categories: Energy, Environment, Thought Piece|Tags: , , , |Comments Off on Legal Group Wants ‘Partisan’ AG Punished Over Handling Of High-Profile Public Records Request: Another New York Attorney General without boundaries?